Tubing insertion and pulling organization for deep wells



July 7, 1942. w. c. SI B BLE 2,288,977

TUBING INSEBTION AND PULLING ORGANIZATION FOR DEEP WELLS Filed May 26, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet} WALTER C 8/8 8 LE,

I INVENTOR ATTORNEY y 1942- w. c. SIBBLE I 2,288,977

TUBING INSERTION AND PULLING ORGANIZATION FOR DEEP WELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1941 INVENTOR WALTER C-6IBBLE ATTORNEY y 7, 1942- w. c; SIBBLE 2,288,977

TUBING INSEHTION AND PULLING ORGANIZATION FOR DEEP WELLS Filed May 26, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVE'N TOR WALTER C- \SIBBLE AT ToHwe-Y 0 Patented July 7, 1942 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUBING IN SERTION AND PULLING ORGANIZATION FOR DEEP WELLS 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel and improved tubing insertion and pulling organization for the tubing of deep-well pumps, such as are commonly used in the pumping of oil wells.

Heretofore in the removing or installing of tubing in oil wells besides the regular attendant whose duty in removing is to lift and disconnect the uppermost tubing section from the connecting sleeve or collar it has also been necessary for another attendant provided with a particular and expensive wrench to grip and hold the connecting sleeve or collar during the disconnecting operation and it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a combination of parts, namely, a combined base and cradle member with a tubing-engaging and tongs-organization for removable seating in the cradle member in such manner as to prevent a rotation of the coupling sleeve or collar between adjacent tubing sections thereby avoiding the necessity of the second attendant and the expensive wrench.

More particularly the invention consists in the provision of a device of the above mentioned character in which upwardly projecting and laterally spaced members are provided on each side of the base portion of the combined base and cradle member which are provided in turn with downwardly converging faces for co-operating with complemental surfaces on the tubing-engaging and tongs-organization to cause a gripping of the connecting sleeve by the latter organization when seated in the cradle member.

It is an additional and equally important object of the present invention to provide a device of the above mentioned character in which the tubing-engaging and tongs-organization includes a pair of pivoted jaw-like members adapted to be removably clamped together about the tubing and provided with sleeve or collar receiving means and gripping means which latter are forced into gripping engagement with the coupling sleeve when the organization is seated in the cradle.

Other objects as well as the nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this invention.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an end view of the combined base and cradle member,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is an endelevational detail showing the tubing-engaging and tongs-organization seated in the cradle member,

Fig. l is another end elevational view looking toward the opposite end of the same arrangement of parts,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the complete device in assembled relation,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 5 in the direction in which the arrow points, and

Fig. 8 is an elevational view looking toward the inside of one of the jaws of the tubing-engaging and tongs-organization.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings there is provided a combined base and cradle member generally designated l and including a base portion 2, the ends of which are slotted as at 3 and adapted to receive suitable nut and bolt arrangements not shown for fastening the base portion to the top of the well casing c in such manner that the opening 3 will be positioned centrally of the casing for the passage of well tubing therethrough. A plurality of pairs of upwardly projecting laterally spaced members 4 are provided on the upper surface of said base portion 2, the inner opposing faces of said spaced members converging downwardly as shown at 5 for coacting with each other in removably receiving the improved tubing-engaging and tongsorganization generally designated 6.

The tongs-organization or tongs may be said to consist of a pair of jaw members I the inner ends of which are in loosely hinged engagement with each other as indicated at 8 while the inner faces are provided with opposed semi-circular recesses 9, the upper portions 10 of which are enlarged to leave the shoulders I I. When in substantially closed relation the lower portions of the recesses 9 form an opening for arrangement about a tube section 12 while the upper portions ID are disposed on opposite sides of a connecting sleeve l3 forming a part of the tubing, the lower edge of the sleeve being adapted to be seated on the shoulders I l and thereby acting as a support to prevent the accidental dropping of the entire tubing into the well.

The inner surfaces of the enlarged recessed portions are removably fitted with bits M as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and diagonally opposed bits co-operate with each other when engaged with the sleeve [3 for preventing rotation of the sleeve in one direction while the remaining diagonally opposed bits co-operate with each other in preventing rotation of the coupling sleeve in a reverse direction, this biting engagement being effected when the opposed downwardly converging outer faces l5 of the jaws are seated on the corresponding complemental downwardly converging faces 5 of the members 4.

The jaws are provided with handles l6 so that they may be readily manipulated while suitable latching means is provided for holding the jaws in closed position. In the present instance the latching means may be said to consist of a bolt ll fitted with a handle 13, the bolt being arranged through transverse apertures in the han dles, the outer end of the bolt I! being formed with a reduced and flattened head l9 which forms a substantial T relative to the shank and which is adapted to be passed through either pair of crossed slots 2!] which intersect the adjacent opening and which enable the T-head to be passed through the slots and the bolt subsequently turned a fractional degree so as to engage on the outer surface of the adjacent handle member and thereby latch the same in position, the arrangement being clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the dotted lines in Fig. 6 showing the angular position which may be assumed by the handle I8 to efiect registration of the head IQ of the bolt with the desired slot 20.

Arranged on opposite portions of the outer surfaces of the jaws between the inclined portions 15 are ears 2! in which bails 22 are pivotally mounted, the latter after the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 7 being adapted to be swung upwardly and engaged by a hook 23 which is adapted in turn to be connected with a pulling cable not shown forming in turn a part of the power driven lifting mechanism of the conventional oil well equipment. In use the base I is seated upon the upper part of the well casing c as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The jaws I of the tongs-organization are then moved toward each other about an elevate-d portion of the tubing and beneath the adjacent connecting sleeve l3 so that the latter is seated on the shoulders. On being latched together the jaws are position so that their inclined surfaces l5 are engaged with the inclined or converging faces 5 of the cradle member and owing to these converging surfaces the jaws are drawn toward each other and the bits M automatically forced into biting engagement with the sleeve. Bails 2'2 are swung upwardly and engaged with the hook 23 of the lifting means and the tongs-organization lifted until the next succeeding connecting sleeve is drawn into a position above the cradle andengaged by another tongs-organization. In all instances the upper part of the coupling sleeve is held while the upper projecting section of the tubing not shown may be disengaged from the upper part of the sleeve by the single attendant. Obviously the reverse operation is rep'eatedwh'en ii:- is desired to're-iri'stall' the tubing.

In Fig. 8 there is shown a slightly modified form of bit structure consisting in employing two small bits I4 in lieu of one.

It is believed in view of the foregoing that a further detailed description of the operation of the invention is entirely unnecessary. Likewise it is believed that the advantages of the invention will be readily apparent.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pulling organization for the tubingequipment of deep-well pumps, the combination with a combined base-and-cradle member including a base portion adapted to be seated upon and supported by the upper end of the casing of a well, and a plurality of pairs of upwardly-projecting laterally-spaced members upon each side of said base portion the inner opposing faces of which spaced members converge downwardly, of a tubing-engaging tongs-organization having downwardly converging seating portions removably seated between the opposing faces of said laterally-spaced members. and including coupling sleeve-receiving and coupling sleeve-gripping means and the gripping means being forced into gripping engagement with th coupling sleeve when the organization is seated on the downwardly converging faces of the cradle member.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the tongs-organization includes a pair of jaws hingedly connected to each other at their inner ends and provided with handles at their outer ends, and latching means for removably holding the handles together.

3. In a pulling organization for the tubingequipment of deep-well pumps, the combination with a combined base-and-cradle member including a base portion adapted to be seated upon and supported by the upper end of the casing of a well, and a plurality of pairs of upwardly-projecting laterally-spaced members upQ each side of said base portion the inner opposing faces of which spaced members converge downwardly, of a pair of jaws operatively connected to each other at their inner ends and adapted to be arranged about a section of tubing and the adjacent coupling sleeve and provided internally with gripping means for engagement with the coupling sleeve, the outer faces; of the jaws having spaced downwardly converging seating portions for removable engagement with the opposing faces of said laterally spaced; members whereby the gripping means on the jawsafe caused to tightly bite the coupling sleeve,- handles on the outer ends of the jaws, and latching means for removably holding the handles together.

51. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3; in which balls are pivotally connected to the outer faces o'f the jaws between the downwardly cenverging seating portions;

WALTER o. SIBBLE. 

